Artist Spotlight: E Jake (@EJake_PHM)

E Jake or Eazy, as he is commonly known as, is what Hip-Hop has been looking for in an artist. While the phrase "keep it 100" is often used by nearly everyone in the streets, isn’t it true that the majority don’t? Well Eazy doesn’t have that problem; he is genuine to himself & others, both in and outside the booth. Born in Boston, raised in Framingham, this young, Black, talented MC has seen both sides of the fence; where opportunity and struggle meet.

Rapping since age 10, he’s always had an ear for music, growing up listening to the classic soul greats including Al Green, Curtis Mayfield & The Temptations to the sounds of Wu-Tang, Nas & Jay-Z. He became serious about pursuing a music career after serving nearly 3 years in a juvenile detention center. Once home he began community college for Business Administration and formed the Massachusetts based independent entertainment, Power House Movement LLC, with fellow childhood friends.

Legal trouble didn’t stop there and it forced Eazy to take a step back from his grind & rising status as he did more time in the cell than the booth. During his last bid he decided to drop his old stage name of Menace Moore, and take on his current & final stage name, E Jake; short for his government name, Elijah Jacobs.

Once released from incarceration in 2012, he began releasing many songs and music videos gaining a wide variety of attention from fans, supporters, major record label executives, and of course fellow competition. E Jake has always done live performances, whether it was small local shows or opening for major industry signed acts at larger venues; but it wasn’t until March 2015 when he would have his most monumental performance to date. He was invited to the Texas based music festival SXSW (South by Southwest) landing a slot on the same bill as Wiz Khalifa, Dej Loaf, and many others at the 2,750-person capacity venue ACL-Live.

E Jake has since moved onto to open his own recording and production studio, 3 Stripe Studios, with fellow childhood friends and was also nominated for Best Male Rap Artist of Year 2015 for Urban Threshold’s 12th Annual Underground Music Awards. He doesn’t stop working; he says he doesn’t have any addiction besides success. Taken from E Jake himself he once stated, “I fell in love with the grind, because its like once you reach your goal what’s next? So I keep working… Never losing sight of my inspiration while constantly feeding my ambition.” So what lays ahead for this young, aspiring sensation? Only time will reveal the answers, until then let’s sit back and analyze his moves and progression.